Jacob of Kefar

Jacob of Kefar Soma or Jacob of Kefar Sakanin, is a character described as a disciple of Yeshu ben Pandera. Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus was arrested for heresy (identified in the Talmud as being a Shammaite who did not believe in Gentile salvation, the minim likewise only considered a convert to be worthy of salvation) either in 95 CE during Domitian's persecution, or during Emperor Trajan's persecution of the Christians in 109 CE (according to Herford & Maccoby). Hence the Min appellation (meaning heretic) was applied in the Mishnah. Disregarding the validity of the ban upon him for his "Shammuti" views, when trying to think of an alternate reason the association with minim had happened he remembered discussing Halakha with Jacob (and apparently adopting his view). The fact that Rabbi Eliezer did not disdain to stop in the street to have a conversation with Jacob indicates that prior to the arrest, the movement Jacob belonged to was at that time respectable in the eyes of rabbinic Jews.

Jacob approached, Eliezer said not a word to him, then the story is as follows::Jacob said, 'It is written in your Torah, "Thou shalt not bring, the fee of a harlot into the Temple." What of these?' Eliezer said to him, 'They are forbidden.' Jacob said, 'They are forbidden as an offering: it is permitted to destroy them.' Eliezer said, "In that case, what should one do with them?' Jacob said, 'He shall make with them bathhouses and latrines.' Eliezer said to him, 'Thou has well said.' And the halakhah was concealed from Eliezer for the moment. When Jacob saw that Eliezer agreed with his words, he said, 'Thus has Jesus taught me, They come from filth and they go to filth, as it is said (Mic 1:7) "For the hire of a harlot, etc." They shall make seats tor the public.' And it pleased Eliezer. (Midrash, Qohelet Rab., on i.8)

The debate about the use of such money in the Temple indicates that the exchange must have taken place before such a debate would have been rendered redundant with the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE while Eleazar ben Hyrcanus' time of prominence is usually dated c.70-100CE. The editor of the Soncino Talmud believes him to have been either James the less or James son of Alphaeus, but whether this truly is the Mishnah's memory of James the Just whose death is usually dated to 62 CE is a topic of some debate. The other mention of Jacob in the Mishnah concerns the death of Rabbi Eliezer ben Dama the nephew of Rabbi Ishmael Ben Elisha whose prominence is dated c.90-135 CE. Since here Eliezer Ben Dama & Ishmael could both have been ignorant concerning whether or not Jacob had already died by this time, the passage does not contradict the Soncino Talmud editor's claim.

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*Simeon Kepha